Thomas Nismenth
2026-01-22T08:32:23+02:00

Daily Drive Brief: Walkinshaw’s Wild Amarok, Long-Wheelbase iX3, and a Truck Seat You Pump by Hand

Some days the inbox feels like a swap meet. Today’s haul: the Volkswagen Amarok W600 wearing Walkinshaw’s best boots, a limo-length BMW iX3 built for the back seat, a stealthy Mitsubishi, a returning Fiat van, and a Toyota truck seat you inflate by hand—yes, like those trainers we all lied about dunking in. Let’s rummage.

Headline | Market | The Gist
Volkswagen Amarok W600 by Walkinshaw | Australia | Factory-backed, locally tuned flagship ute for 2026; grip, stance, and swagger
BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase | Asia | Stretched electric SUV teased; back-seat serenity takes the lead
Mitsubishi Outlander Black Edition | Global (incl. AU) | Popular family SUV goes full blackout for 2026—style over soldering
Chery C5 Hybrid | Australia | New value-focused hybrid to square up to Jolion and Kona
Fiat Scudo returns | Australia | Mid-size van comeback aims at HiAce loyalists
Toyota shock-absorbing truck seat | US | Isodynamic seat tech you tune with a good old hand pump
Automakers skip Super Bowl LX | US | Fewer blockbuster ads as budgets chase ROI elsewhere
Corvette Z06 deals emerge | US | Markup madness cools; real-world pricing returns
Hyundai Staria camper concept | Global | Sleep, cook, stash gear—still a concept, annoyingly

Big Down Under: Volkswagen Amarok W600 by Walkinshaw, plus Fiat’s Scudo Returns

2026 Volkswagen Amarok W600: Walkinshaw gets its hands dirty

I ran a W580 as a camera mule a couple of years back—tripods, Pelican cases, the odd dirt bike—and the thing felt like it’d been tuned on the same gnarly backroads we were shooting. That’s the promise again with the Volkswagen Amarok W600: factory blessing, local brains, and hardware that doesn’t wilt when the smooth stuff ends.

What I’m expecting: tidier body control, chunkier tyres, a broader stance, and the sort of steering honesty that keeps you relaxed at 110 km/h with a trailer.

Who it suits: Monday-to-Friday commuters who tow on Fridays, surf at sunrise on Saturdays, and chase fire trails on Sundays.

Why it matters: Amarok’s bones are good; Walkinshaw usually frees up that last 10% of confidence and composure.

Last winter I pushed a current Amarok V6 across washboard B-roads and it felt capable but just a bit reserved—like it was saving face for the school run. Walkinshaw tends to spend that reserve wisely: bump absorption without the dental clatter, and grip where corrugations usually make utes go light. If the Volkswagen Amarok W600 lands like the spec suggests, it’ll be the one people quietly recommend at the campsite… after pointing out your tyre pressures.

Did you know? The “W” badge is a Walkinshaw calling card. The Amarok W580s sold fast in Australia because they weren’t tuned for a mythical “global road”—they were tuned for ours.

Volkswagen Amarok W600 vs Ranger Raptor: which flavour of tough ute?

Forget the spec-sheet arm-wrestle for a minute. The Volkswagen Amarok W600 will likely be the tidy all-rounder with a talent for towing and long-haul civility; the Ranger Raptor is your sand-slinging show-off that loves a whoop section. Both brilliant. Just different weekends.

Ute | Core Character | Likely Strengths | Potential Watch-outs
Volkswagen Amarok W600 (2026) | Walkinshaw-tuned all-rounder | Composure on broken bitumen, towing poise, quieter cabin | Sticker shock; tall, portrait infotainment can be fiddly on the move
Ford Ranger Raptor | High-speed off-road specialist | Long-travel suspension, personality for days, proper off-road kit | Thirst, and payload/tow compromises versus work-focused trims
Toyota HiLux GR Sport | Durable and tough | Bulletproof rep, nationwide dealer web, rugged tune | Cabin noise on coarse-chip, infotainment lags rivals
Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior | Locally enhanced value play | Lifted stance, all-terrain bits, sharp pricing | Older platform bones show in refinement and tech

Is the Volkswagen Amarok W600 worth waiting for?

Short version: yes, if you want your ute sorted from day one. The factory backing matters for warranty and resale, and Walkinshaw’s calibrations usually land in that sweet spot between “weekend weapon” and “don’t hate the commute.” A couple of owners I chatted with about earlier Walkinshaw Amaroks raved about stability with a dual-axle trailer and the way the steering stays trustworthy over lumpy corners. That’s the stuff you feel at hour four of a road trip.

2026 Fiat Scudo: van life, Monday edition

The Scudo returns to a part of the market that doesn’t do sentiment. It does cupholders, sliding doors, tie-downs and service intervals. I did a week-long house move in a rival van last year; a supportive seat and a reachable coffee made me more loyal than any chrome badge ever could.

Rivals: Toyota HiAce, Hyundai Staria Load, Ford Transit Custom.

What tradies clock: door apertures, load length, tie-down points, cabin stowage, downtime between services.

Early read: if the pricing is neat and dealer coverage is decent, the hardware should pull its weight.

EVs and Hybrids: BMW iX3 LWB pampers the rear, Chery C5 Hybrid chases value

BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase: built for the back seat

BMW’s stretched iX3 targets markets where the boss often sits behind the B-pillar. I’ve done the LWB shuffle through Shanghai traffic enough times to know: another fistful of wheelbase turns gridlock into “emails and espresso.” Ride gets calmer, voices drop a register, and you stop counting the lights.

What’s new: more wheelbase, more rear legroom, likely softer damping and quieter tyres.

Who it suits: families, executive shuttles, anyone who treats the second row like a mobile office.

Open question: how the extra length impacts battery packaging and range—BMW’s still coy.

Chery C5 Hybrid: Jolion and Kona, meet your thrifty rival

The C5 Hybrid nudges Chery squarely into the small-hybrid-SUV aisle. Think Haval Jolion Hybrid, Hyundai Kona Hybrid, Corolla Cross Hybrid—same brief: urban-friendly footprint, low fuel bills, decent kit.

Cross-shop: Jolion Hybrid, Kona Hybrid, Corolla Cross Hybrid.

What I’ll try first: low-speed EV creep smoothness and stop–start polish. That’s where cheap-feeling hybrids fall apart.

Dealer whisper: aggressive drive-away pricing and long warranties turn maybes into yeses.

Style File: Mitsubishi Outlander Black Edition keeps the stealth trend rolling

The blackout trend refuses to sleep. The Outlander Black Edition is the kind of show-floor sizzle that makes a family SUV look a trim level richer than it is—dark wheels, de-chromed trim, maybe a contrast roof. No oily bits fiddled, warranty angels unbothered.

Expect: black wheels and badges, shadowed interior accents, minor trim tweaks.

Why it works: visual payoff for modest cash.

Minor gripe: dark cabins hide mess until they suddenly don’t—keep some wipes in the door.

Tech & Toys: a hand-pumped Toyota seat and a Hyundai camper we still can’t buy

Toyota’s shock-absorbing truck seat… with an old-school hand pump

Toyota’s isodynamic seat wants to save your spine when the track gets knobbly. The twist is charmingly analog: you set it up with a hand pump. Sounds faffy, but if you’ve ever dialed in air-sprung MTB kit, you know two PSI can be the difference between comfy and cranky.

Upside: less fatigue on corrugations and whoops; tweak it to suit load and terrain.

Quirk: setup curve—some quick-reference markings would turn guesswork into science.

Best use: long gravel hauls, towing across patchy bitumen, post-storm fire roads.

Hyundai Staria camper concept: sleep, cook, grin

The Staria camper concept is the van that makes you text the group chat about a last-minute coast run. Fold-flat bed, compact kitchen vibes, clever cubbies. Feels tailor-made for dawn patrols or kids’ sport weekends. You can’t buy it yet, which is rude.

Highlights: flexible sleeping area, hidden storage, weekend-warrior smarts.

Ideal for: alpine overnighters, national park loops, festivals without the tent tantrums.

Reality check: production trims often sand off the concept’s clever corners.

Market Pulse: fewer Super Bowl car ads, and a friendlier Corvette Z06 market

Automakers step back from Super Bowl LX

Quiet consensus from the marketing crowd: fewer seven-figure TV slots, more targeted digital pushes and product spends—especially for EVs. Big-game ads are loud. Spreadsheets prefer signal to noise.

Corvette Z06: deals finally appearing

Early adopters paid the markup tax; patient shoppers get the music without the surcharge. As resale heat cools, the Z06’s flat-plane V8 aria becomes attainable without an auction paddle.

Buyer tip: call around—stock and appetite to deal can vary wildly by store.

Owner tip: the flip era’s gone; best return now is memories per litre.

Macro read: normalising supply + higher rates = saner stickers.

Quick Takes

The blackout trend has legs—expect more “Black Edition” badges through 2026.

Asia’s LWB appetite will shape EV packaging; watch how the iX3 LWB balances ride comfort with range.

The ute arms race isn’t done: the Volkswagen Amarok W600 gives VW real, locally tuned cred.

Side tip: If your Volkswagen Amarok W600 arrives on chunkier all-terrains, check load ratings and PSI before towing. I’ve “fixed” more ride issues with a tyre gauge than with any shiny shock upgrade.

Conclusion

From Walkinshaw’s Volkswagen Amarok W600—a ute that finally feels tuned for the way we actually drive—to BMW’s long-wheelbase iX3 aimed squarely at rear-seat zen, today’s headlines trace a neat map: Australia wants tough, Asia wants space, America wants smarter ad spend. Add a hand-pumped throne from Toyota and a Hyundai camper that keeps teasing, and you’ve got the car world in 2026—clever, occasionally quirky, and rarely boring.

FAQ

When will the Volkswagen Amarok W600 arrive?

Volkswagen and Walkinshaw are pointing to 2026. Expect final specs once tuning and hardware are locked.

What will Walkinshaw likely change on the Amarok W600?

Suspension tune, wheel and tyre package, underbody protection and styling details are safe bets—aimed at better control without ruining daily comfort.

Is the BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase coming to the U.S. or Europe?

It’s been teased for Asian markets first. No official word on other regions yet.

How does Toyota’s shock-absorbing seat work?

It’s an “isodynamic” seat that isolates you from bumps. The latest setup uses a manual hand pump so you can dial pressure to match load and terrain.

Are Corvette Z06 prices really softening?

Yes. Resale heat has eased, and real-world deals are appearing compared with the launch-era markups.